Terrorist Bello Turji surrenders arms, releases captives after Islamic clerics’ intervention

The terrorism kingpin, Bello Turji, has released 32 kidnapped persons and agreed to stop attacking farmers following a series of meetings with some Islamic clerics in his hideout.

Penpushing reports that a cleric, Musa Yusuf, popularly known as Asadus-Sunnah, made this development known at a religious gathering on Monday in Kaduna, explaining that residents of Shinkafi engaged his team (clerics) to dialogue with Turji on behalf of the residents of Shinkafi to allow them to return to the farm in the forest.

The Islamic cleric stated that the meeting took place three times in July in the Fakai forest, adding that Turji also surrendered some of his arms after the meeting in the Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State

“We met Turji, Dan Bakkolo, Black, Kanawa and Malam Ila. The speculation that Dan Bakkolo was killed is not true. These people are the ones terrorising the axis, and they all agreed to the peace proposals, one of which is for them to surrender some of their arms to show commitment to the peace process’, he said.

‘They surrendered the arms in three phases at different times, and allowed the residents of Shinkafi to access their farms in the forest across the river heading to Turji enclaves. We agreed that the Fulanis must be allowed to go to town without being stereotyped or killed by the vigilante’, Yusuf added.

“He ( Turji) also released 32 kidnapped captives as part of the peace agreement,” Mr Yusuf said and showed the video of some of the released captives and the difficult terrain they crossed to reach Turji’s camp’.

Penpushing further reports that he disclosed that the freed persons, including children and women, had spent about four months in captivity, stressing that some of the women gave birth in captivity, while one suffered a snake bite.

The cleric pointed out that since the deal, the area (Shinkafi axis) has enjoyed relative peace, and the locals are cultivating their farmlands without fear of being kidnapped, explaining that the clerics were still trying to persuade Turji to accept total peace.

Penpushing also reports that Yusuf, however, said they did not ask Turji to surrender all his arms so as not to make him vulnerable to attack by other groups opposed to the peace process in the state.

The cleric warned clerics attacking Turji online that their utterances would only exacerbate the situation, stating that while the deal with Turji would not end terrorist attacks in Zamfara, the communities on his axis are enjoying peace.

Penpushing reports that he commended President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, and Senator Shehu Buba for supporting a non-kinetic approach in addressing the security challenges of the area.

The terrorisim kingpin, it is recalled in October, warned that peace would continue to elude Zamfara State until the security forces and vigilante groups stopped attacking the Fulanis.

‘This is why we are calling on all of you to come and collaborate with us for peace to reign and stop the bloodbath in Zamfara. Guns and airstrikes will not stop us because we are not afraid of death’, he declared.

‘The blame game over the worsening security situation between Governor Lawal and Bello Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defence, was political, saying both politicians do not have their people’s best interests at heart’, Turji emphasised.

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